Feeler tip for weft replenishing looms



April 3@, 1935., O, v PAYNE 1,999,516

FEELER TIP FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed April 4, 1952 E ma. E

FAVE

ndentor' Oscar U Payne v 4 .7. Qttornexxa Patented Apr. 30, 1935 umrsoSTATES FEELER TIP FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Oscar V. Payne, Worcester,Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, acorporation of Massachusetts Application April 4, 1932, Serial No.603,164

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in feeler tips preferably forside slipping weft detectors for looms and it is the general object ofthe invention to provide a tip capable of withstanding repeated blows ofhard yarns without appreciable wear yet operating without causingabrasion or fraying of such yarns.

When detecting hard fine wefts, such as silk, it is desirable to providethe feeler tip which can be struck a great number of blows by the sameyarn surface without substantial alteration of the detecting surfacethrough wear. It is an important object of my present invention to forma feeler tip of laminated wood the sheets of which are impregnated witha hardening agent, such as a phenolic condensation product. The sheetsof wood are preferably so disposed that the end grain strikes the weft.A detector made of this material shows practically no wear after severalmonths use and does not abrade the yarn.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my in vention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of myinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of my weft detector, with adjacent portions of thelay and shuttle,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a feeler tip grained to indicate thewood structure thereof,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on linedl of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View representing the manner in which the tipmay be made.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have indicated a lay is having a shuttle Ssupplied with a bobbin B hav- 4o ing a wound mass of weft W. Thedetector D may be mounted on a fixed platform i i supported on the loomframe and has a rearwardly projecting yielding diagonally offset arm IThe detector, except the tip, may be of the type set forth in my priorPatent No. 1,733,198.

In carrying my present invention into effect, I preferably make thefeeler tip of a laminated wood structure, fabricated according to theshowing of Fig. 5. A series of thin strips of wood 25 are alternatedwith layers 2! of a phenolic condensation product in the form of apowder, after which the strips and the powder are subjected toconsiderable pressure and temperature. This treatment causes thecondensation product to penetrate adjacent surfaces of the strips, andin effect produces a solid body.

I prefer to have the grain of the several sheets run in the same generaldirection, although certain features of my invention do not require this1 particular arrangement of wood. The tip is then shaped as suggested inthe drawing and cut to form the weft engaging teeth 22. The latter may,though not necessarily, extend in a direction transversely of the planesof the wooden sheets, and the tip is preferably so formed that thesurface which strikes the yarn is formed of end grained wood.

By making the sheets sufficiently thin it is possible to cause thecondensation product to penetrate a sufficient depth so that practicallyall of the wood is impregnated. While several kinds of wood areacceptable, yet I prefer to use either ash or white wood, since thesewoods can be formed as thin sheets and respond to the treatmentdescribed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form offeeler tip which is found in practice to be very hard so as to resistwear when detecting against hard yarns, but is sufliciently smooth anduniform in its texture to prevent abrasion of the wefts. It will also beseen that the laminations may be so arranged as to present end grain tothe weft, a structural condition tending to hold the detector againstsliding along a very hard wound mass of weft. Experience shows that nohesitancy exists on the part of the detector in slipping along a barebobbin. Although described in connection with a side slip feeler, yet myinvention is not limited to such use.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. A feeler tip formed of a series of wood sheets bound together by andimpregnated with a phenolic condensation compound and having the grainof all the sheets running in substantially the same direction and havingthe yarn engaging teeth formed of end grain.

2. A feeler tip formed of a series of flat strips of wood parallel tothe length of the surface to be detected and having their grain runningin a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the weftpresented to the tip, said sheets of wood being bound together andimpregnated with a phenolic condensation compound.

3. A feeler tip formed of a series of sheets of wood bound together withtheir grain running in substantially the same direction and having teethout across end grain of the wood to present a detecting surface.

OSCAR V. PAYNE.

